The Portland daily press., 1887-02-10
ANOTHER DEFALcATioN.
The Clerk of the Boston Municipal
Court Short lin His Accounts.

BosToN, Feb. 9.-It has been learned that
John c. Leighton, for 10 years clerk of the
municipal court of Boston, is short in his
accounts to large amount. The exact sum
of the defalcation was not to be known until
the expert, now at work on the books COM
plete his labor. 1t is stated. however, by
City Auditor Dodge that the total will be
perhaps 100000 or more.
Leighton was appointed in 1867 and held
the Office up to within a short time. In the
court in which he served thousands of crimi-
nal cases are tried annually and the money
received for fines and costs is all turned ov-
er to the clerk, who is supposed to deposit
it with the city treasurer of Boston, who is
also county treasurer 1t is said that the
present auditors predecessors have not aud
tied the accounts of this court for years, as
implicit confidence was placed in Clerk
Leighton.
Beginning with the year 1870 the published
reports of the city auditor respecting this de-
partment show curious figures. From 1870
to 1875 the receipts for fines, costs, fees,
etc, were the greatest, the total being S429,-
937, an average of over S71 900 year. From
1875 to 1880 he is credited in the books of the
city auditor with having turned in $50 239,
or an average of little more than $4,000 a
year. From 1880 to 1886, the last years of his
administration, he is credited with having
turned into the city treasury $147,013 or an
average of little more than $24,517. The
dropping off of over $55,000 a year during
the second five years of office is unaccounted
for, except by the theory that the money
went into the pocket of the individual rath-
er than to the city treasury.
AS high as 10000 cases n wear or even
more, have been brought to this court dur
ing the term Of Leighton's clerkship. The
drunks will average 80 day and sthe fines
in such cases are seldom less than So each.
to say nothing about large number of cases
OF assault and battery and other minor Of
fences.
The term of Leighton expired short time
ago, but he was reappointed by Governor
koblnson and shortly after his appoin tment
he resigned. Whether or not the fact that
he was an embezzler of the countys funds
was known previous to his resigning has not
been learned For many years he has been
known only as an honored and respected
citizen and the blow will be a severe one.
why he should appropriate the funds of the
county Is mystery to his friends. His
habits of life were not extravagant and he
mad no family. His salary was $4,000 and
ms property is assessed for $40, 900, but he is
said to be worth a great deal more money
than is represented in the assessors books.
The journal says that when Leighton un-
expectedly resigned in December last as clerk
OF municipal court, after twenty years SER
vice, tnere was much surprise expressed by
persons who knew him. About that time il
became known that his accounts were not
correct, and when asked about it by the
judges, Leighton admitted that such was the
fact but said it was attributed only to unin-
territorial errors on his part and he was
ready when the amount was ascertained TO
make the deficiency good. An expert was